Utensil and method for retrieving and applying spreadable food

ABSTRACT

A utensil has first and second arm members of substantially the same size and shape. Each arm member has a head section and a handle section. The head sections are concave or scoop-like in configuration and are connected by a rotatable hinge which permits rotation of the arm members in relation to each other. The head section of the first arm members has elongated openings through which spreadable food can be expelled. The head section of the second arm member is solid. With the first arm member nested within the second arm member, spreadable food is scooped onto the utensil, specifically on the top surface of the first arm member. Rotation of the second arm member around the first arm member such that the second arm member is now nested within the first arm member, causes the food to be expelled from the openings in the first arm member, where the food can be easily spread on bread and or food items.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are a variety of commonly used utensils of various configurationswhich are utilized to scoop peanut butter out of jars, butter,butter-like products, and margarine out of tubs, cream cheese out ofcontainers, and similar spreadable food out of their respectivereceptacles. Spoons, ice cream-type scoops, and even knives are utilizedto retrieve food from such containers. However, these utensils are ofteninefficient and even ineffective in scooping more solidified items, suchas peanut butter or butter, when they are refrigerated. And onceretrieved from their containers, only knives are generally effective forspreading. However, the limited usefulness of knives in the actualscooping and retrieval of the refrigerated food from their containersmakes them less than satisfactory overall.

There is thus currently no single device which combines thecharacteristics of a food scoop with that of a food spreader, into anall in one utensil to efficiently and effectively accomplish foodretrieval and food spreading operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is thus the object of the present invention to provide a utensilwhich overcomes the limitations and disadvantages of existing foodscoop, retrieval, and food application utensils.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a utensil whichcombines the characteristics of a food scoop with that of a spreaderinto one handy, convenient, utensil.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a utensil whichis easy to use and is most effective in scooping and retrieving food andthen, contemporaneously, spreading that food on bread, rolls, and otherfoodstuffs.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a utensilwhich is easily cleaned.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a utensil whichhas relatively few parts and so would be relatively easy and economicalto manufacture.

These and other objects are accomplished by the present invention, autensil having first and second arm members of substantially the samesize and shape. Each arm member has a head section and a handle section.The head sections are concave or scoop-like in configuration and areconnected by a rotatable hinge which permits rotation of the arm membersin relation to each other. The head section of the first arm members haselongated openings through which spreadable food can be expelled. Thehead section of the second arm member is solid. With the first armmember nested within the second arm member, spreadable food is scoopedonto the utensil, specifically on the top surface of the first armmember. Rotation of the second arm member around the first arm membersuch that the second arm member is now nested within the first armmember, causes the food to be expelled from the openings in the firstarm member, where the food can be easily spread on bread and or fooditems.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention, itself, however, both as to its design, construction and use,together with additional features and advantages thereof, are bestunderstood upon review of the following detailed description withreference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the utensil of the present invention, inits pre-use position.

FIG. 2 is a view of the utensil of the utensil of the present inventionbeing used to scoop food, e.g. peanut butter.

FIG. 3 shows an elevation view of the utensil of the present invention,after food has been scooped onto its head sections.

FIG. 4 depicts the first step in the use of the utensil of the presentinvention.

FIG. 5 depicts the next step in the use of the utensil of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 depicts the next step in the use of the utensil of the presentinvention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the utensil of the present inventionshown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 shows the utensil of the present invention as a foodapplicator/spreader.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Utensil 1 of the present invention comprises arm member 2 having handlesection 4 with ends 5 and 6. Curved head section 10 extends from end 6of handle section 4. Head section 10 has bottom surface 11 and topsurface 12 which are both concave in relation to handle section 4. Headsection 10 further comprises elongated openings 14 and 16 which extendthrough the head section.

Arm member 22 has handle section 24 having ends 26 and 28. Curved headsection 30 extends from end 28 of handle section 24. Head section 30 hasbottom surface 31 and top surface 32 which are concave in relation tohandle section 24. In fact, arm member 22 is substantially the sameshape and size as arm member 2; with the exception being that arm member22 is incrementally longer than arm member 2 and it has resilient,upstanding lip 34 extending from end 26 of its handle section 24. Inaddition, unlike head section 10 of arm member 2, head section 30 of armmember 22 has a continuous solid surface, uninterrupted by openings.

Both head section 10 and head section 30 are shown as peanut shaped inthe drawings, however, the invention should not be considered restrictedto the shape of the head section. Any scoop-like configuration may beutilized for this section of utensil 1.

A flexible, rotatable hinge 36 connects arm members 2 and 22 at theirrespective head sections 10 and 30. Hinge 36 is configured to allowrotational movement between the arm members.

The operation of utensil 1 is as follows. Arm members 2 and 22 arealigned adjacent to each other, in scoop position, as shown in FIGS. 1and 2, with arm member 2 nested within arm member 22. Lip 34 acts as aclasp to maintain arm 2 in position over arm member 22. Utensil 1 isthen used to scoop a spreadable food 40 from jar 41 onto top surface 12of head section 10 of arm member 2. Arm members 2 and 22 are thenseparated, i.e. they are lifted away from lip 34 and pulled away fromeach other. As depicted in FIGS. 4-6, arm 22 is then rotatedcounter-clockwise around hinge 36 until it is directly over top surface12 of arm member 2. Handle section 24 of arm member 22 is then presseddown onto handle section 4 of arm member 2, so that arm member 22 isnested within arm member 2 into a food spreading position. This downwardpressure causes spreadable food 40 on top surface 12 of head section 10of arm member 2 to be expelled through openings 14 and 16. Spreadablefood 40 flows through head section 10 and onto bottom surface 11, fromwhere it is spread on bread, rolls, etc. 42.

After spreadable food 40 on bottom surface 11 is depleted, arm member 22is rotated clockwise from its food spreading position, back to itsoriginal food scoop position, that is, such that arm member 2 is againnested within arm member 22. The food retrieving and application is thenrepeated, as necessary.

Thus utensil 1 of the present invention provides a versatile,scoop/spreader combination kitchen tool. The present invention not onlyserves to readily scoop spreadable food, especially more solid foodslike refrigerated butter and peanut butter, but is also subsequentlyavailable for use to easily and conveniently spread that food.

Certain novel features and components of this invention are disclosed indetail in order to make the invention clear in at least one formthereof. However, it is to be clearly understood that the invention asdisclosed is not necessarily limited to the exact form and details asdisclosed, since it is apparent that various modifications and changesmay be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

1. A utensil for retrieving and applying spreadable foods comprising: afirst arm member comprising an elongated handle section with a top side,two ends, and a head section extending from one of the ends, said headsection having opening means for permitting the flow of spreadable foodthrough the head section; a second arm member comprising an elongatedhandle section with two ends and a top surface and a head sectionextending from one of the ends of the handle section; and connectionmeans for permitting the rotation of the first arm member in relation tothe second arm member between a scoop position to a food spreadingposition and between the food spreading position back to the scoopposition.
 2. The utensil as in claim 1 wherein in the scoop position thefirst arm member is nested on the top surface of and within the secondarm member and in the food spreading position the second arm member isnested on the top surface of and within the first arm member.
 3. Theutensil as in claim 1 wherein the opening means comprises one or moreelongated openings extending a majority of the length of the head of thefirst arm member.
 4. The utensil as in claim 1 wherein spreadable foodflows through the opening means when the utensil is in the foodspreading position.
 5. The utensil as in claim 1 wherein the headsection of the first arm is a curved scoop, concave in relation to thetop surface of the head section.
 6. The utensil as in claim 5 whereinthe head section of the second arm is a curved scoop, concave inrelation to the top surface of said head section.
 7. The utensil as inclaim 1 wherein the connection means comprises a rotatable type hingelocated between the head section of the first arm member and the headsection of the second arm member.
 8. The utensil as in claim 1 whereinthe first and second arm members are substantially identical in shapeand size.
 9. The utensil as in claim 1 further comprising clasp meansfor attaching the first arm member to the second arm member when theutensil is in the scoop position.
 10. The utensil as in claim 9 whereinthe clasp means comprises a resilient lip upstanding from the second endof the second arm member.
 11. A utensil for retrieving and applyingspreadable foods comprising: a first arm member having an elongatedhandle section with two ends, and a scoop section extending from one endof the handle section, said scoop section having one or more openingstherethrough; a second arm member having an elongated handle sectionwith two ends and a scoop section extending from one end of the handlesection; and a rotatable type hinge connecting the scoop section of thefirst arm member to the scoop section of the second arm member, thehinge permitting the rotation of the first arm member in relation to thesecond arm member between a scoop position to a food spreading positionand the food spreading position back to the scoop position, whereby inthe scoop position the first arm member is nested within the second armmember and in the food spreading position the second arm member isnested within the first arm member.
 12. The utensil as in claim 11wherein spreadable food flows through the opening or openings when theutensil is in the food spreading position.
 13. The utensil as in claim11 wherein the scoop section of the first arm is concave in relation tothe top surface of the handle section.
 14. The utensil as in claim 13wherein the scoop section of the second arm member is concave inrelation to the top surface of said handle section.
 15. The utensil asin claim 11 wherein the first and second arm members are substantiallyidentical in shape and size.
 16. The utensil as in claim 11 furthercomprising clasp means for attaching the first arm member to the secondarm member when the utensil is in the scoop position.
 17. The utensil asin claim 16 wherein the clasp means comprises a resilient lip upstandingfrom the second end of the second arm member.
 18. The method ofretrieving and applying spreadable food comprising the steps of:providing a utensil with first and second interconnected arm members,each arm member having a scoop section with a top surface; nesting thefirst arm member within the second arm member; scooping spreadable foodonto the top surface of the scoop section of the first arm member;rotating the second arm member in relation to the first arm member;continuing the rotation of the second arm member in relation to thefirst arm member until the second arm member is directly over the topsurface of the scoop section of the first arm member; nesting the secondarm member within the first arm member; applying pressure to the secondarm member; expelling spreadable food from the scoop section of thefirst arm member; and applying the spreadable food.
 19. The method as inclaim 18 comprising the further step of providing at least one openingwithin the scoop section of the first arm member for expelling thespreadable food.
 20. The method as in claim 15 comprising the furthersteps of providing handles on the first and second arm members andnesting the second arm member within the first arm member by rotatingthe handle of the second member in relation to the handle of the firstarm member.